Cylindrical hydrogen fuel generator having passive tubular cells

ABSTRACT

A hydrogen fuel generator having a cylindrical enclosure and a fuel cell unit having multiple conductive tubular cells is described. The multiple conductive tubular cells are passive conductors that are not coupled to the power source. The passive conductive tubular cells are disposed in a longitudinal direction of the cylindrical enclosure.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/322,696, filed Apr. 9, 2010, the entire contents of which areincorporated herein by reference. This application is related toco-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 13/077,836, entitled “SupplementaryFuel System for Delivery of Hydrogen Gas to an Engine,” filed Mar. 31,2011, and co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 13/077,866, entitled “ACylindrical Hydrogen Fuel Generator Having Tubular Cells withMicroscopic Indentations,” filed Mar. 31, 2011, the contents of both areincorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments of the present invention relate to fuel systems, and morespecifically, to a supplementary hydrogen fuel generator and acomputerized injection controller to supplement an existing fuel system.

BACKGROUND

Using hydrogen as a supplemental fuel in motor vehicle engines has beenproposed to increase the performance of the engine. When using hydrogenand oxygen as part of the air-fuel mixture for the engine, theperformance of the engine increases, including increasing the mileage(e.g., miles per gallon (MPG)) and/or reducing the emissions of theengine. The hydrogen gas may be generated through electrolysis of anaqueous solution. The hydrogen gas may be referred to as monatomichydrogen (HHO) gas, or “Brown Gas,” which is created by electrolysis byseparating H2O into molecules by passing an electrical current throughwater or an aqueous solution. Electrolysis is a method of using anelectric current to drive an otherwise non-spontaneous chemicalreaction. Electrolysis is commercially highly important as a stage inthe separation of elements from naturally occurring sources such as oresusing an electrolytic cell. The three main components required toachieve electrolysis are 1) a liquid containing mobile ions, alsoreferred to as an electrolyte; 2) an external power source of directelectric current; and 3) two electrodes.

One conventional system, described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,954, filedJan. 18, 2005, describes an electrolyzer having an electrolysis chamberand a rack with an anode and a cathode and alternating supplementalelectrodes.

Another conventional hydrogen generating system is described in U.S.Pat. No. 6,336,430, filed Jun. 29, 1998. This conventional hydrogengenerating system includes an electrolysis cell for generating hydrogenand oxygen gases by electrolysis of an aqueous solution, a power sourcefor providing electrical power to the electrolysis cell, and an outletflow means for introducing the generated gases into the intake manifoldsystem of an internal combustion engine. The electrolysis cell has acylindrical shaped case of polyvinyl chloride and an electrode assemblyhaving a series of bipolar electrode plates between an anode and acathode, held together by polypropylene bolts and nuts. The electrodeplates are a series of alternating parallel anodes and cathodes joinedtogether by means of bridging straps, and the outside cathode and anodeelectrode plates are connected to the positive and negative supply fromthe motor vehicle system via an adapter. The U.S. Pat. No. 6,336,430also describes that the series of bi-polar electrodes could beconcentric circular electrodes.

The conventional system described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,336,430 alsoincludes a controller for monitoring the operating conditions of thehydrogen generating system and for controlling parameters of thehydrogen generating system to control its operation in response to themonitoring. U.S. Pat. No. 6,336,430 describes the controller monitoringparameters of the hydrogen generating system, including the level ofaqueous solution, temperature of the solution, engine vacuum, andpressure in the gas supply line. In response to negative inputs forthese parameters, the controller turns off the hydrogen generatingsystem. The controller can also regulate the electrical power providedto the electrolysis cell, controlling the amount of hydrogen to begenerated, as well as the power provided to a pump to control the flowrate of the pump, if the pump is included as part of the system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be understood more fully from the detaileddescription given below and from the accompanying drawings of variousembodiments of the invention, which, however, should not be taken tolimit the invention to the specific embodiments, but are for explanationand understanding only.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a supplementary fuel system having a hydrogenfuel generator and a computerized injection controller according to oneembodiment.

FIG. 2 is a side-view diagram of the hydrogen fuel generator of FIG. 1,including a fuel cell unit, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 3A is a diagram illustrating a side-view and a cross-section viewof the fuel cell unit of FIG. 2 according to one embodiment.

FIG. 3B is a diagram illustrating a side-view and a cross-section viewof the fuel cell unit of FIG. 2 according to another embodiment.

FIG. 4A illustrates another embodiment of the hydrogen fuel generator ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 4B is a top-view of the hydrogen fuel generator of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 4C illustrates another embodiment of the hydrogen fuel generator ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 5A is a block diagram of one embodiment of an injection controlsystem.

FIG. 5B is a flow diagram of one embodiment of a method of injectioncontrol for delivery of hydrogen to an engine.

FIG. 6 illustrates a diagrammatic representation of a machine in theexemplary form of a computer system for injection control of hydrogengas into an engine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A method and system of a supplementary fuel system for deliveringhydrogen to an engine is described. The embodiments described hereininclude hydrogen fuel generator, also referred to as an electrolyzerthat is designed to be simple, compact and to produce HHO gas. HHO gasis being produced in order to “boost” the vehicle or generator byimproving miles per gallon (MPG) performance, improving the burn qualityof the fuel, thus reducing any unwanted emissions, and producing morepower and to clean out old carbon deposits inside the engine. Thesupplementary fuel system adds the HHO gas to the air entering theengine. In one embodiment, the supplementary fuel system can beintegrated to work with existing engines, and may leverage some of theexisting components associated with the engine. In another embodiment,the supplement fuel system can be integrated along with another type offuel system when initially manufactured or assembled. In addition, theembodiments describe an on-demand system that generates hydrogen gas ondemand, instead of storing the hydrogen gas.

The embodiments described herein can be used to provide an improved fuelsystem for an engine. The embodiments described herein can be used toaddress the need for drastic emission reductions and improved fueleconomy in all engines. The term “engine” as used herein refers to anyengine that consumes a fuel-air mixture within the engine itself so thatthe host gaseous produces of the combustion act directly on the surfacesof engine's moving parts. Such moving parts may include pistons, turbinerotor blades, or the like. The engine may be an internal combustionengine, including gasoline engines, diesel engines, Liquefied petroleumgas (LPG) engines, Bio Diesel engines, gas turbine engines, jet engines,rocket engines, or the like. The embodiments described herein can beutilized with any engine, regardless of fuel type currently beingutilized. The embodiments described herein can work along with anexisting fuel source to compliment the efficiency of fuel burn withinthe combustion chamber, thus reducing emissions and increasing fueleconomy. The embodiments described herein generate hydrogen gas from anaqueous electrolyte solution utilizing electrolysis to achieve thisprocess.

By including HHO gas in your combustion chamber, the temperatures maydecrease slightly, and may be a helpful additive or fuel because thehydrogen first burns inside the engine and the byproduct is steam, whichbecomes water as it condenses. The condensation may possibly cool theoutside of the engine's exhaust. The embodiments described herein mayresult in approximately 20% to 70% improvement of gas mileage.Alternatively, other percentages may be achieved. However, it shouldalso be noted that the overall mileage increase in vehicles may bedetermined by several factors, such as driving habits, the condition ofyour vehicle, tire inflation, driving conditions and more. In addition,because hydrogen gas burns at a cooler temperature than diesel, theviscosity of the engine's oil may not break down as quickly. This maylead to longer periods between oil changes and less wear to thecylinders, hence reducing your overall maintenance costs of the engine.

The embodiments described herein may also reduce engine emissions. Insome cases, the embodiments have been shown to significantly reduce thenoxious and toxic engine emissions, thereby reducing greenhouse gasemissions and providing cleaner air than vehicles without theseembodiments. In addition, hydrogen and oxygen are two of the mostabundant elements available on earth. The hydrogen-per-unit is threetimes more powerful in energy produced than gasoline and almost fourtimes that of ethanol. No only will emissions decrease to lower levels,the fuel (e.g., gasoline, diesel, or the like) may combust moreefficiently with fewer pollutants in the exhaust. The oil may staycleaner, the plugs may last longer, the engine may stay cleanerinternally, and the engine temperature may drop by several degreesFahrenheit. Alternatively, these embodiments may provide other benefitsas would be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art having thebenefit of this disclosure.

In the following description, numerous details are set forth. It will beapparent, however, to one of ordinary skill in the art having thebenefit of this disclosure, that embodiments of the present inventionmay be practiced without these specific details. In some instances,well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form,rather than in detail, in order to avoid obscuring the embodiments ofthe present invention.

Some portions of the detailed description that follow are presented interms of algorithms and symbolic representations of operations on databits within a computer memory. These algorithmic descriptions andrepresentations are the means used by those skilled in the dataprocessing arts to most effectively convey the substance of their workto others skilled in the art. An algorithm is here, and generally,conceived to be a self-consistent sequence of steps leading to a desiredresult. The steps are those requiring physical manipulations of physicalquantities. Usually, though not necessarily, these quantities take theform of electrical or magnetic signals capable of being stored,transferred, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated. It hasproven convenient at times, principally for reasons of common usage, torefer to these signals as bits, values, elements, symbols, characters,terms, numbers, or the like.

It should be borne in mind, however, that all of these and similar termsare to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and aremerely convenient labels applied to these quantities. Unlessspecifically stated otherwise as apparent from the following discussion,it is appreciated that throughout the description, discussions utilizingterms such as “receiving,” “monitoring,” “processing,” “providing,”“computing,” “calculating,” “determining,” “displaying,” or the like,refer to the actions and processes of a computer system, or similarelectronic computing systems, that manipulates and transforms datarepresented as physical (e.g., electronic) quantities within thecomputer system's registers and memories into other data similarlyrepresented as physical quantities within the computer system memoriesor registers or other such information storage, transmission or displaydevices.

Embodiments of the present invention also relate to an apparatus forperforming the operations herein. This apparatus may be speciallyconstructed for the required purposes, or it may comprise ageneral-purpose computer system specifically programmed by a computerprogram stored in the computer system. Such a computer program may bestored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as, but not limitedto, any type of disk including floppy disks, optical disks, CD-ROMs, andmagnetic-optical disks, read-only memories (ROMs), random accessmemories (RAMs), EPROMs, EEPROMs, magnetic or optical cards, or any typeof media suitable for storing electronic instructions.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a supplementary fuel system 100 having a hydrogenfuel generator 110 and a computerized injection controller 122 accordingto one embodiment. The supplementary fuel system 100 includes a hydrogenfuel generator 110 to generate hydrogen gas using electrolysis. Thehydrogen fuel generator 110 delivers hydrogen gas through the checkvalve 113 to the hydrogen supply line 127. The check valve 113 may beused to prevent the back flow of fluids into the hydrogen fuel generator110. As the flow of hydrogen gas leaves the hydrogen fuel generator 110,the supply line 13 routes the hydrogen gas through a receiver/dryer 130to ensure no moisture is passed through to the engine 150. From thereceiver/dryer 130, the hydrogen gas passes through the supply line 123to an injection control system 120 (additional details regarding theinjection control system 120 are described with respect to FIGS. 5A, 5B,and 6), including a computerized injection controller 122 and aninjector 124. The injection control system 122 regulates the flow ofhydrogen gas to the engine 150 on the injection line 125. The injectioncontrol system 122 can regulate the amount of hydrogen gas that isinduced into the engine at any given time. Unlike the conventionalsystem described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,336,430, which uses a flow controlvalve and a pump to regulate the flow of gas, the injection controlsystem 122 can electronically regulate the injector 124 to inject aspecified amount of hydrogen gas into the engine 150 via the injectionline 125. The injection control system 122 does not regulate how muchhydrogen gas is being generated by the hydrogen fuel generator 110,rather how much hydrogen gas is delivered to the engine 150 at any givenpoint in time. For example, the injection control system 122 controlsthe appropriate amount of hydrogen to be injected into an air intake ofthe engine. The injection controller 122 may be programmed for eachindividual engine at any given time. In one embodiment, the injectioncontrol system 122 is programmed for each specific engine to optimizethe amount of hydrogen gas injected into the engine 150 to increaseemission reduction and increase fuel economy. In some cases, theinjection control system 122 is programmed to achieve the highestemission reduction and highest fuel economy obtainable for a givenengine.

In one embodiment, the supply line 123 and injection line 125 arestainless steel tubing, such as stainless steel aircraft tubing. Inanother embodiment, supply line 123 and injection line 125 arepolytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tubing (also commonly referred to DuPont®brand name “Teflon®” tubes). PTFE is a synthetic fluoropolymer ortetrafluoroethylene. Alternatively, other types of lines may be used aswould be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art having thebenefit of this disclosure. The supply line 127 (also referred to as afuel line) may be stainless steel fuel line, as well as other types ofsupply lines.

In one embodiment, the injection control system is a stand-aloneinjection controller 122, which provides a map having multiple cellelements that contain a number that indicates the amount of hydrogenthat is to be delivered to the engine. In one embodiment, the map is athree-dimensional mapping of the flow of hydrogen gas to be injected. Inone embodiment, a three-dimensional map is used that includes multiplecell locations (also referred to as “cells”), where each cell locationscontains a value that corresponds to an injector pulse width (e.g., theamount of time the injector is active (e.g., on-time) or the amount oftime the injector is pulsed) based on multiple factors, such as manifoldpressure and RPMS. In this embodiment, the injection controller 122programs the injector pulse width directly into cell locations of themap according to the boost pressure and revolutions per minute. In oneembodiment, the injection controller 122 includes an interface, such asa serial port to program and calibrate the injection controller 122. Inone embodiment, the injection controller 122 receives various inputsthrough the interface. For example, the injection controller 122 canmonitor the engine's tachometer signal, injector loom, and/orvacuum/boost line. The injection controller 122 computes the outputpulse width according to the desired parameters defined duringprogramming and outputs the pulse width to the injector 124, whichinjects the desired amount of hydrogen gas received on the supply line123 into the injection line 125. In one embodiment, the injector 124injects the hydrogen gas directly into an intake manifold of the engine150. This may vary based on the type of engine. For example, there maybe other intervening components of the fuel system. For example, theinjector 124 may inject the hydrogen gas into a dryer before the intakemanifold. Most diesel engines, for example, are induced on the returnside of the air-to-air cooler nearest the intake manifold. Most gasolineengines are induced into a spacer plate, which is installed directly ontop of the manifold. In most cases, these types of engines utilize athreaded fitting to which the injection line 125 (e.g., stainless steelline) can couple.

The hydrogen fuel generator 110 is coupled to a power source, such asthe existing engine battery 160 or the alternator power supply.Alternatively, other types of power sources may be used as would beappreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit ofthis disclosure. The main power from the battery 160 may be routedthrough an automatic re-settable circuit breaker 161 and a control relay162 for operation and protection. The positive terminal of the battery160 can be coupled to the control relay 162 using a wire (e.g.,8-gauge), and the load side of the control relay 162 can be coupled tothe positive terminal of the hydrogen fuel generator 110 (e.g., couplercoupled to the anode). The negative terminal of the battery 160 can becoupled to a mounting bolt of the hydrogen fuel generator 110. Thenegative control terminal of the relay 162 is connected to the positiveterminal of the cycle switch 140 using a wire, while the negativeterminal of the cycle switch 140 is coupled to the mounting bolt of thehydrogen fuel generator 110, which is coupled to the negative terminalof the battery 160. The relay 162 may also receive power from a positiveignition source, as well as an optional oil pressure control from acycle switch (not illustrated). In the case of the positive ignitionsource, a wire (e.g., 14-gauge) can couple the keyed ignition powersource to the positive control terminal of the relay 162. Alternatively,other power configurations are possible based on the engine's existingelectrical configuration as would be appreciated by one of ordinaryskill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. The control sideof the relay's circuitry may be activated by a switched ignition powersource to ensure the hydrogen fuel generator 110 is only active duringoperation of the engine. It should be noted that the hydrogen fuelgenerator 110 can be wired in other configurations as would beappreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit ofthis disclosure.

As depicted in FIG. 1, the injection control system 120 may also bepowered by the engine's battery 160 and may be independently fused toensure over current protection. Alternatively, the injection controlsystem 120 can be powered using other configurations as would beappreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit ofthis disclosure.

In one embodiment, the hydrogen fuel generator 110 includes anadjustable pressure cycle switch 140, which is utilized to preciselyregulate the pressure within the hydrogen fuel generator 110 that isproduced during the hydrogen manufacturing process. In anotherembodiment, the entire outer housing is equipped with an atmosphericdischarge valve 111 (labeled as safety valve) as a secondary safetymeasure to prevent over pressurization of the hydrogen fuel generator110. Alternatively, other safety mechanisms can be used in connectionwith the hydrogen fuel generator 110.

Additional details regarding the hydrogen fuel generator 110 aredescribed below with respect to FIGS. 2, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, and 4C.Additional details regarding the injection control system 120 aredescribed below with respect to FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 6.

FIG. 2 is a side-view diagram of the hydrogen fuel generator 110 of FIG.1, including a fuel cell unit 220, according to one embodiment. Thehydrogen fuel generator 110 includes a head 210, the fuel cell unit 220,a housing unit 230, and a ring nut 240.

The head 210 includes an opening (and corresponding cap and fitting) forfilling the hydrogen fuel generator 110 with the aqueous electrolytesolution. The solution may be water or may be a water solution havingelectrolyte. Electrolyte is a substance that when dissolved in asuitable solvent, such as water, or when fused becomes an ionicconductor. Electrolytes are used in the hydrogen fuel generator 110 toconduct electricity between the anode and cathode. The electrolyte maybe used to provide increased efficiency of the electrolysis reaction.The solution may be adjusted to remain in a liquid solution form and notfreeze at extremely low temperatures as would be appreciated by one ofordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. Thehead 210 may be threaded to allow coupling with the ring nut 240 inorder to fasten the head 210 to the housing unit 230. The head 210includes another opening in which the check valve 113 may be disposed.Alternatively, the check valve 113 may be disposed in other locations.The check valve 113 (illustrated in FIG. 1) can be adjusted to releasethe hydrogen gas generated by the fuel cell unit 220 when a specifiedpressure has been reached. In one embodiment, the check valve 113 isadjusted to 20 pounds per square inch (psi). In other embodiments, thecheck valve 113 may be set to other pressure levels. In one embodiment,the check valve 113 and the outer housing of the hydrogen fuel generator110 is tested and rated to ensure 300% safety margin over the maximumoperating pressures, such as between 20 to 100 psi. In one embodiment,by setting the check valve 113 to be set at 20 psi on the lower end ofthe range, the hydrogen fuel generator 110 does not go all the way downto zero psi. This may allow faster delivery of the hydrogen gas to theengine 140. The check valve's purpose may include maintaining a minimumpressure level when the system is not in use. This in-turn assists inthe production of hydrogen gas returning to optimum pressure at a fasterrate. The check valve 113 may also aid in the elimination ofwater/electrolyte solution traveling through the supply line 127 to thereceiver/dryer 130. The head 210 may also include the adjustablepressure cycle switch 140, which is utilized to precisely regulate thepressure within the hydrogen fuel generator 110 that is produced duringthe hydrogen manufacturing process. Alternatively, the adjustablepressure cycle switch 140 may be disposed in other locations on thehydrogen fuel generator 110, or elsewhere in the fuel system. In anotherembodiment, the head 210 is equipped with an atmospheric discharge valve(e.g., safety valve 111) as a secondary safety measure to prevent overpressurization of the hydrogen fuel generator 110. The head 210 may alsoinclude a terminal to be coupled to a negative terminal of the battery160, as illustrated in FIG. 1.

When coupled to the negative terminal of the battery 160, the entireouter housing of the hydrogen fuel generator 110, including the head210, housing unit 230, and ring nut 240, operates as a first electrode,specifically the cathode for electrolysis. In one embodiment, thehousing unit 230 is a cylindrical enclosure of metal. In one embodiment,the housing unit 230 is stainless steel. In one exemplary embodiment,the stainless steel 316 grade is used. The head 210, housing unit 230,and the ring nut 240 may be stainless steel. Alternatively, other gradesof stainless steel or different metals may be used for the differentparts of the hydrogen fuel generator 110. The outer housing 230 mayinclude an opening at the bottom to allow the aqueous solution to bedrained from the housing unit 230. In one embodiment, the housing unit230 includes a female national pipe thread (FNPT) (e.g., ¼″ FNPT) toallow a drain valve to be screwed into the bottom of the housing unit.In one embodiment, the housing unit 230 is approximately 10.375 inchesin height (H), 3.375 inches in width (W) (diameter), and the overallheight (H) of the hydrogen fuel generator 110 is approximately 12inches. In one embodiment, the diameters (D) of the cylindrical tubularcells 310 and 320 are 1.0 inches, 1.5 inches, 2.0 inches, 2.5 inches,and 3.0 inches, respectively from the innermost tube 320 to the outertube 310. In other embodiments, other diameters (D) may be used. In oneembodiment, each of the outer tube 310 and inner tubes 320 has athickness of 0.060 inches. Alternatively, other thicknesses may be used.In another embodiment, the housing unit 230 is approximately 20 inchesin height (H), 3.375 inches in width (W) (diameter), and the overallheight (H) of the hydrogen fuel generator 110 is approximately 22inches. In another embodiment, the overall height (H) of the hydrogenfuel generator 110 is between approximately 10 inches to 36 inches, andthe overall width (W) is between approximately 3 inches to 8 inches.Alternatively, other dimensions may be used based on various factors,such as the size of the engine, the space available for installing thehydrogen fuel generator 110, amount of hydrogen gas needed, etc, theamount of voltage of the power source (e.g., 12V, 24V, or the like) aswould be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art having thebenefit of this disclosure.

The fuel cell unit 220 is disposed within the cylindrical enclosure 230,and includes multiple conductive tubular cells disposed in alongitudinal direction of the cylindrical enclosure 230 and a metal roddisposed within the conductive tubular cells along a longitudinal axisof the cylindrical enclosure 230. When coupled to the positive terminalof a power source (e.g., the battery 160), the metal rod operates as asecond electrode, specifically the anode for electrolysis. Unlike thealternating bi-polar plates described in the conventional systems, theconductive tubular cells of the embodiments described herein are passiveconductors and are not coupled to the negative and positive terminals.In one embodiment, the fuel cell unit 220 includes one outer tube andone or more inner tubes, for example, three inner tubes, or four innertubes. In another embodiment, the metal rod is a metal bolt, such as astainless steel bolt, disposed within the innermost tube of the one ormore inner tubes. The metal bolt may be used to fasten the fuel cellunit 220 together as described in more detail below. Alternatively, themetal rod may be other types of metal and may or may not be used tofasten the fuel cell unit 220 together. In another embodiment, theinnermost tube is connected to the positive terminal and operates as theanode. For example, the innermost tube may have threads to fasten to thelid and base.

In one embodiment, the power source is approximately 12 volts. Inanother embodiment, the power source is approximately 24V. When using 24volts, the dimensions of the fuel cell unit 220 may be changed. Forexample, the height (H) dimensions of the fuel cell unit 220 (e.g.,height (H) of the conductive tubular cells) may be twice as big as thedimensions for the fuel cell unit 220 that operates at 12 volts, whilethe diameters and placement of the conductive tubular cells may remainsubstantially unchanged. The dimensions of the fuel cell unit 220 mayalso be affected based on the total surface area of the conductivetubular cells. For example, in some embodiments, the conductive tubularcells may have holes to have approximately 52% to 65% total surfacearea, leaving between approximately 35% to 48% open surface area on theconductive tubular cells. In one exemplary embodiment, the conductivetubular cells have 40% open surface area. When the dimensions of theconductive tubular cells change, the appropriate amount of holes may bemade in the fuel cells to provide approximately 40% of the open surfacearea. Alternatively, when other voltages are used, the dimensions of thefuel cell units may vary accordingly in order to generate and maintainthe appropriate currents for proper operation.

FIG. 3A is a diagram illustrating a side-view and a cross-section viewof the fuel cell unit 220 of FIG. 2 according to one embodiment. Thefuel cell unit 220 includes one outer tube 310 and four inner tubes 320.In another embodiment, the fuel cell unit 220 includes one outer tube310 and the innermost tube of the four inner tubes 320 is optional,totaling four tubes, one outer tube and three inner tubes. In oneembodiment, the outer and inner tubes 310 and 320 are stainless steel.Alternatively, other types of metal may be used as described herein.

The outer and inner tubes 310 and 320 are coupled to a non-metal base330, which arranges the inner tubes 310 and 320 to be electricallyisolated from one another. In another embodiment, the non-metal base 330are configured to space the tubes 310 and 320 at specified distancesfrom one another, such as at approximate fixed distances or the sameapproximate distances from one another. In one exemplary embodiment, asshown in the cross-section view, the outer tube 310 is approximately 3inches, and the inner tubes 320 are approximately 2.5″, 2.0″, 1.5″, and1″, respectively. As stated above, the innermost tube 320 ofapproximately 1″ may be optional. Alternatively, other dimensions may beused based on various factors, such as the size of the engine, the spaceavailable for installing the hydrogen fuel generator 110, amount ofhydrogen gas needed, etc., as would be appreciated by one of ordinaryskill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. In oneembodiment, the outer and inner tubes 310 and 320 are 0.075 gauge tubes.In another embodiment, the outer and inner tubes 310 and 320 have aheight between approximately 4 inches and 30 inches, and a width betweenapproximately 1 inch and 7½ inches. The non-metal base 330 and anonmetal lid 350 may be PTFE isolators at the top and bottom to supportand stabilize the outer and inner tubes 310 and 320. In one embodiment,the non-metal base 330 and non-metal lid 350 have a thickness betweenapproximately ½ inch and 3 inches, and the diameter is approximately /21inch less than the respective housing dimensions in FIG. 2.Alternatively, other dimensions may be used. In one embodiment, thenon-metal base 330 and lid 350 have circular grooves in which the tubesfit to support the tubes at the specified distances. These circulartubes isolate the tubes from one another and the spacing between thetubes affects the current generated by electrolysis. The non-metal base330 and lid 350 may each have a hole through which a metal bolt 340(e.g., stainless steel bolt) passes to secure the entire inner assembly.The metal bolt 340 passes through the base 330, innermost tube, and lid350 to be secured to a nut 360 (with or without the washer 361). Inanother embodiment, the metal bolt 340 bonds to the inner most tube,thus creating a larger anode surface area. For example, the top of theinnermost tube may include a surface having a threaded hole to which themetal bolt 340 bonds disposed within the innermost tube. The remainingtubes (e.g., 3 of 4 tubes) are passive conductors that are neutral andhave no physical bond to the anode or the cathode (e.g., the entireouter housing).

In one embodiment, the metal rod 340 and nut 360 are coupled to acoupler 370, which is coupled to the positive terminal of the powersource. In one embodiment, the coupler 370 passes through the opening ofthe head 210 to be coupled to the positive terminal. In anotherembodiment, the coupler 370 is coupled to a threaded stud that passesthrough the opening. The threaded stud is secured to the head 210 withPTFE insulator and corresponding nut. Alternatively, other types ofcoupling between the positive terminal of the power source and the metalbolt 340 may be used.

FIG. 3B is a diagram illustrating a side-view and a cross-section viewof the fuel cell unit 221 of FIG. 2 according to another embodiment. Thefuel cell unit 221 is similar to the fuel cell unit 220 of FIG. 3A asnoted by similar reference labels. As described above, the fuel cellunit 220 includes the metal bolt 340 that passes through a hole in thebase 330 up through the innermost tube 320, through a hole in the lid350 to be secured by the nut 360 and coupler 370. This design is used tosecure the cylindrical tubular cells between the lid 350 and the base330, and uses the bolt 340 as an anode disposed within the cylindricaltubular cells.

Referring to FIG. 3B, instead of using the metal bolt 340, the fuel cellunit 221 uses a threaded rod 372 to be secured to the innermost tubularcell (innermost one of the tubes 320) at the top and a threaded rod 373to be secured to the innermost tubular cell at the bottom. Inparticular, a threaded washer 362 is secured (e.g., welded) to the topof the innermost tube 320, and a threaded washer 344 is secured (e.g.,welded) to the bottom. The threaded washers 362 and 344 have a holethrough which the threaded rods 372 and 373 can be threaded. Thethreaded rods 372 and 373 can be threaded into the innermost tube 320 bya specified amount to secure the respective rode to the innermost tube320. This allows the innermost tube 320 to be open (or hollow)throughout most of the height (H) of the innermost tube 320. Thethreaded rod 373 is secured to the nut 342 at the bottom, and the nut342 can be semi-permanently or permanently secured to the bottom of thebase 330 or to the threaded rod 473, such as by welding. The innermosttube 320 and threaded rods 372 and 373 become a single component that issecured to the base 330 and the lid 350, and can be used as the anode,instead of the bolt 340. The threaded rod 372 is secured to the lid 350using two nuts 363 and a washer 361. Since the lid 350 may be made ofsofter material than metal, two nuts 363 can be used to provideadditional stability to the threaded rod 372 and the innermost tube 320within the fuel cell unit. The threaded rod 372 is secured to the head210, such as by being welded. The threaded rod 372 can be secured to thehead 210 before or after being secured to the innermost tube. In oneembodiment, the threaded rod 372 is between approximately 5 inches and11 inches, based on the size of the fuel cell unit. The threaded rod 373may be between ½ and ¾ inch depending on the height of the base 330. Thethreaded rods 372 and 373 may be stainless steel, such as 316 grade. Inone embodiment, the threaded rods 372 and 373 are ¼-20 rods.Alternatively, other dimensions and other types of metals may be usedfor the threaded rod 372 and for the threaded rod 373 as would beappreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit ofthis disclosure.

At the top of the fuel cell unit 221, a PTFE insulator 374 can bedisposed above the lid 350 can insulate the threaded rod 372. The PTFEinsulator 374 prevents exposure of the metal to reduce or eliminate arcscaused from being exposed. In one embodiment, the PTFE insulator 374 maybe between approximately 5 inches and 11 inches in height (H) and isdisposed to cover the threaded rod 372. Of course, the height of thePTFE insulator 374 may vary based on the height of the threaded rod 372.It should be noted that although the depicted insulator 374 is PTFE,other types of materials may be used. This embodiment removes thecoupler 370 and the metal bolt 340.

FIG. 4A illustrates another embodiment of the hydrogen fuel generator110 of FIG. 1. In this embodiment, the hydrogen fuel generator 110includes a fuel cell unit 420. The fuel cell unit 420 has an inner core410 having four tubes 411-414. Within the outer tube 411 are disposedthree inner tubes 412-414, each opposing tube has holes in the outercylindrical surfaces, beginning with the anode bolt 440, which is bondedwith the innermost tube 414. In one embodiment, the holes are equallyspaced. Alternatively, other patterns may be used for the holes. Theholes increase the surface area of metal exposed to the aqueoussolution. In one embodiment, the holes are drilled to optimize thereactive surface. In one exemplary embodiment, the holes are ⅛″ holesdrilled on 3/16″ staggered centers. This configuration may be modifiedto increase or decrease the reactive surface, which affects the currentdraw of the core design. In this embodiment, the innermost tube 414 andthe inner tube 412 have holes. Alternatively, other patterns can beused, such as all of the tubes have holes, or all of the tubes exceptthe outer tube 411.

In another embodiment, the inner core tubes 411-414 include microscopicindentations on its surfaces. In one embodiment, all surfaces of theinner core tubes 411-414 include microscopic indentations. In anotherembodiment, less than all surfaces of the inner core tubes 411-414include microscopic indentations. In one embodiment, the microscopicindentations are manufactured using abrasive blasting. Abrasive blastingis the operation of forcibly propelling a stream of abrasive materialagainst the surface under high pressure to make the microscopicindentations on the surfaces of the inner core tubes 411-414. There areseveral variations of abrasive blasting, such as, for example, sandblasting, bead blasting, shot blasting, and sodablasting. In anotherembodiment, the microscopic indentations may be made using othertechniques as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the arthaving the benefit of this disclosure.

In another embodiment, the inner core tubes 411-414 include microscopicindentations and holes as depicted in FIG. 4A. The microscopicindentations, like the holes, increase the amount of reactive surfaceexposed to the aqueous solution, which further increases the excitationof hydrogen molecules, which consequently increases the efficiency ofthe electrolysis towards optimal hydrogen gas production.

In another embodiment, the inner core tubes 411-414 can be disparatematerials. For example, the outer tube 411 and the inner tube 413 may bestainless steel and the inner tubes 412 and 414 may be titanium. Thedisparate metals may also increase the excitation of hydrogen molecules,increasing the efficiency of the electrolysis. In other embodiments,other combinations of different metal types may be used, such asstainless steel and other metals with similar characteristics astitanium. In one embodiment, embodiment, the inner core tubes 411-414includes holes, microscopic indentations, and alternating metals.Alternatively, the inner core tubes 411-414 may include any combinationthereof.

The inner core 410 also includes PTFE pucks 430 and 450 as the base andlid of the inner core 410. The PTFE pucks 430 and 450 include grooves inwhich the tubes 411-414 fit to support and maintain the tubes 411-414 intheir respective positions, such as at fixed distances from one another.The PTFE puck 430 includes a hole through which the bolt 440 may bedisposed. The bolt 440 passes through the PTFE puck 430, the innermosttube 414 and through a hole of the PTFE _(puck) 450 to be secured by thewasher 461 and nut 460. In another embodiment, the _(pucks) 430 and 450are high-density polyethylene (HDPE) _(pucks). Alternatively, otherpolyethylene thermoplastics may be used.

In one embodiment, the inner core 410 is coupled to a head 455 of thehydrogen fuel generator 110 via a rod coupling 470. A rubber insulator471 may be placed around the rod coupling 470 and the nut 460 toinsulate the anode connection. Alternatively, other types of insulatorsmay be used. The rod coupling 470 is coupled to the stud 462, such as acontinuous-thread stud (e.g., ¼″-20). The nut 463 secures the stud 462on the one side of the head 455 and the nut(s) 468 secure the stud 462on the other side of the head 455. The nuts 468 can be insulated withPTFE insulators 464 and 466, respectively. The PTFE insulator 466 andstud 426 are also illustrated in the top-view of FIG. 4B. An o-ring 465can be disposed on the head 455 to help provide a seal between the headand the lock ring 442, which is secured to the sump 432. The sump 432can be filled with the aqueous solution through the fill cap 467. In oneembodiment, the sump 432 is implemented as a wet sump, which has thesump 432 as the only reservoir to be filled with the aqueous solution(e.g., water and electrolyte). In another embodiment, the sump 432 isimplemented as a dry sump having an external reservoir that is filledwith the aqueous solution and a pressure pump is used to pump thesolution into the sump 432.

In another embodiment, such as depicted in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the head 455also includes a pressure pop off valve 480, such as an atmosphericdischarge valve that can be adjusted, for example, to the maximumoperating pressure of the hydrogen fuel generator 110 (e.g., 200 psi).The head 455 also includes an adjustable pressure cycle switch 490,which is utilized to precisely regulate the pressure within the hydrogenfuel generator 110 that is produced during the hydrogen manufacturingprocess. In one embodiment, the cycle switch 490 is adjusted to operateat approximately 90 psi with a 3-psi variance. Alternatively, the cycleswitch 490 can be set to other pressure levels based on the design. Inother embodiments, the adjustable pressure cycle switch 490 may bedisposed in other locations on the hydrogen fuel generator 110. Also,the adjustable pressure cycle switch 490 may be disposed in otherlocations in the fuel system. For example, a fuel system that includesmultiple hydrogen fuel generators, a single adjustable pressure cycleswitch 490 can be disposed, for example, a dryer, or at another locationand control each of the multiple fuel generators.

In one embodiment, the head 455 also includes a fill cap and fitting467, through which the sump 432 can be filled with the aqueous solution.In addition, the sump 432 may include a drain valve 491, through whichthe aqueous solution can be drained from the sump 432. Alternatively,the hydrogen fuel generator may include more or less components in orderto supply the aqueous solution to the hydrogen fuel generator.

In the depicted embodiment, the head 455 also includes the check valve490 that allows the hydrogen gas to be delivered to the receiver/dryer130 via the supply line 127. Like the check valve 113, the check valve490 prevents back flow of fluids into the hydrogen fuel generator 110.As described herein, the check valve 490 may operate as a safetymechanism, and other safety mechanisms may be used.

As depicted in FIG. 4B, the head 455 includes at least one terminal 499(e.g., one of the four mounting bolts depicted as circles in FIG. 4B) atwhich the entire outer housing of the hydrogen fuel generator 110 can beconnected to a negative terminal of the power source, such as thebattery 160. In another embodiment, the terminal on the head 455 can becoupled via a wire to the metal chassis or the engine ground, which isconnected to the negative supply terminal of the battery 160.

FIG. 4C illustrates another embodiment of the hydrogen fuel generator ofFIG. 1. The fuel cell unit 421 is similar to the fuel cell unit 420 ofFIG. 4A as noted by similar reference labels. As described above, thefuel cell unit 420 includes the metal bolt 440 that passes through ahole in the PTFE puck 340 up through the innermost tube 414, through ahole in the PTFE puck 450, washer 461, and is secured by the nut 460.Also, the fuel cell unit 420 includes a rubber insulator 471 and rodcoupling 470 to secure and electrically couple the bolt 440 (and nut 46)to the stud 462 of the head 455. This design is used to secure thecylindrical tubular cells between the pucks 430 and 450, and uses thebolt 440 as an anode disposed within the cylindrical tubular cells.

Referring to FIG. 4C, instead of using the metal bolt 340, the fuel cellunit 421 uses a threaded rod 472 to be secured to the innermost tubularcell (innermost one of the tubes 414) at the top and a threaded rod 473to be secured to the innermost tubular cell at the bottom. Inparticular, a threaded washer 462 is secured (e.g., welded) to the topof the innermost tube 414, and a threaded washer (not illustrated) issecured (e.g., welded) to the bottom. The threaded washers have a holethrough which the threaded rods 472 and 473 can be threaded. Thethreaded rods 472 and 473 can be threaded into the innermost tube 414 bya specified amount to secure the respective rode to the innermost tube414. This allows the innermost tube 414 to be open (or hollow)throughout most of the height (H) of the innermost tube 414. Thethreaded rod 473 is secured to the nut 474 at the bottom, and the nut474 can be semi-permanently or permanently secured to the threaded rod473, such as by welding. The innermost tube 414 and threaded rods 472and 473 become a single component that is secured to the pucks 430 and450, and can be used as the anode, instead of the bolt 440. The threadedrod 472 is secured to the puck 450 using two nuts 460 and a washer 461.The two nuts 460 can provide stability to the innermost tub and threadedrods. The threaded rod 472 is secured to the head 455, such as by beingwelded before or after being secured to the innermost tube 411. Likeabove, the threaded rod 472 may be between approximately 5 inches and 11inches, based on the size of the fuel cell unit. The threaded rod 473may be between ½ and ¾ inch depending on the height of the puck 430. Thethreaded rods 472 and 473 may be stainless steel, such as 316 grade. Inone embodiment, the threaded rods 472 and 473 are ¼-20 rods.Alternatively, other dimensions and other types of metals may be usedfor the threaded rod 472 and for the threaded rod 473 as would beappreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit ofthis disclosure.

At the top of the fuel cell unit 480, a PTFE insulator 475 can bedisposed above the PTFE puck 450 can insulate the threaded rod 472. ThePTFE insulator 475 prevents exposure of the metal to reduce or eliminatearcs caused from being exposed. In one embodiment, the PTFE insulator475 may be between 5 inches and 11 inches in height (H) and is disposedto cover the threaded rod 472. Of course, the height of the PTFEinsulator 475 may vary based on the height of the threaded rod 472. Itshould be noted that although the depicted insulator 475 is PTFE, othertypes of materials may be used. This embodiment removes the rod coupling470, and rubber insulator 471, as used in the fuel cell unit 410. Insome cases, the rubber insulator 471 may melt or change shape due totemperatures within the fuel cell unit. The melted or changed shape ofthe rubber insulator 471 may cause arcing by exposing portions of themetal. The embodiments that use the innermost tube as the anode mayavoid this problem.

FIG. 5A is a block diagram of one embodiment of an injection controlsystem 120. The injection control system 120 includes the computerizedinjection controller 122 and one or more injectors 124 as depicted inFIG. 1. The one or more injectors 124 can be high-impedance injectionsor low-impedance injectors. The injection control system 120 regulatesthe flow of hydrogen gas from the supply line 123 from thereceiver/dryer 130 to the injection line 125 to the engine 150. Theinjection control system 120 may be programmable for each specificengine to calculate and deliver the desired amount of hydrogen gas tothe engine to reduce emissions and increase fuel efficiency.

The injection controller 122 may be a stand-alone injection controller,which provides three-dimensional mappings of the flow of hydrogeninduced, which is described in more detail below. In another embodiment,the injection controller 122 may be a component or a module of an enginemanagement controller or other computing device associated with theengine 150, such as an on-board computer of a vehicle or of a machineusing the engine 150. In one embodiment, the injection controller 122 isprogrammable, and may be programmed for the particular engine beingused.

In one embodiment, the injection controller 122 provides precisehydrogen gas delivery to an internal combustion engine. A user canprogram the injection controller 122, providing the user a convenientway to set the mixture of hydrogen gas, air, and fuel injected into thecombustion engine. The injection controller 122 can be programmed todeliver the desired amount of hydrogen gas to the engine to achieve adesired air/fuel ratio, to reduce emissions, and/or to increase mileage.In one embodiment, the user can access the injection controller 122 viaan interface, such as a serial port or a USB port. The user can create afile, such as a configuration file that contains a three-dimensional mapthat includes multiple cell locations containing a value correspondingto the amount of hydrogen gas to deliver to the engine based on one ormore factors as described herein. The configuration file may alsoinclude other settings that are used to control the injector 124. Thefile may also contain other settings that are used to control fueldelivery, ignition timing, Exhaust Gas Oxygen (EGO) sensor offset, and avariety of other engine parameters as would be appreciated by those ofordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.

In one embodiment, the injection controller 122 receives one or moreengine parameters 521, and can monitor one or more input connectionsthat receive monitored operational parameters 523 from other componentsof the system, such as the tachometer, the injector loom, thevacuum/boost line, or the like. The engine parameters 521 may includeboost pressure, vacuum pressure, or voltage from the engine's injectorloom and vacuum/boost lines. The engine parameters 521 may also includerevolutions per minute (RPM), such as from the engine's tachometersignal, respectively. In the depicted embodiment, the injectioncontroller 122, via input connections, monitors the engine's tachometersignal, injector loom 510, the vacuum/boost line 520, the injector'spulse width or duty cycle, or the like, as the monitored operatingparameters 423. The injector controller 122 varies the output pulsewidth of the injector 524 according to the desired parameters definedduring the programming based on the monitored operational parameters523. In another embodiment, the injection control system 120 can measurethe engines cam-positioning sensor and throttle positioning sensor andvaries the flow of hydrogen accordingly.

In one embodiment, the injection controller 122 uses thethree-dimensional map, which includes cell locations that each containsa value that represents the injector's on-time or how much the injectorsare pulsed. This value may represent the amount of time, for example, inmilliseconds. For example, if one of the cell locations is filled with avalue of 10, whenever the manifold boost pressure and RPM match one ofthose cell locations, the injectors will be pulsed for 10 milliseconds.In one embodiment, the injection controller 122 programs the injectorpulse width directly into cell locations on a map defined by boostpressure and revolutions per minute. The three-dimensional map may bestored in memory, such as a non-volatile memory, or other types ofmemory or storage devices that are internal or external to the injectioncontroller 122. Programming and calibration of the interrupt controller122 may be achieved through a serial interface, which is active duringengine operation. Alternatively, the injection controller 122 can useother techniques to control the injector 124, such as a look-up table(LUT), an algorithm, or dedicated hardware or software logic to computethe desired output to the injector 124 based on the engine parameters521 and monitored operating parameters 523. It should also be noted thatthe three-dimensional map, LUT, algorithm or dedicated logic can becalibrated to adjust the injection controller's response to the engineparameters being monitored as would be appreciated by those of ordinaryskill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.

In the depicted embodiment, the injectors 124 receive the hydrogen gasfrom the supply line 123 from the receiver/dryer 130. The intakepressure tube 525 receives the airflow 524 and the injectors 124 injectthe hydrogen gas into the airflow 524 as described above. The airflowwith the hydrogen passes the throttle body 526 to the injection line 125to the engine 150.

In the depicted embodiment, the injection controller 122 provides one ormore outputs 522 to one or more user interface devices 560. The userinterface device 560 may be a digital display, a meter, a graphical userinterface on a display, or other types of user interface devices, suchas those present on a dashboard or console of the vehicle or on acontrol panel associated with an engine used in another type of machine.The user interface device 560 may be a meter or digital display,indicating the performance of the supplementary fuel system, or specificaspects of the supplementary fuel system. The meter, for example, mayindicate that supplementary fuel system is injecting hydrogen gas intothe air-fuel mixture, the rate at which hydrogen gas is being injected,the resulting effect on the mileage by the hydrogen gas, and/or miles toempty based on the use of hydrogen gas. The injection controller 122 maybe configured to provide other outputs to a user operating the engine,as well as provide outputs, such as in a log file, to users that servicethe engine, such as a mechanic or technician. The user interface device560 may also indicate the emissions of the vehicle, such as a meter thanmoves based on the measured emissions using the hydrogen gas. The userinterface device 560 may also indicate whether the supplementary fuelsystem is on or off, if the fuel system needs service, such as if theaqueous solution level is low or empty, or the like. The user interfacedevice 560 may be used to display the outputs of the injectioncontroller 122, or other outputs associated with the hydrogen fuelgenerator 110. The user interface device 560 may also display otherindicators that are related to other systems than the supplementary fuelsystem. For example, the user interface devices 560 may be integratedwith the user interface devices 560 of the vehicle containing theengine. In another embodiment, the injection controller 122 provides theoutputs 522 to another system associated with the engine 150, such as anon-board computer of the vehicle housing the engine 150, for example.

FIG. 5B is a flow diagram of one embodiment of a method of injectioncontrol for delivery of hydrogen to an engine. The method 550 isperformed by processing logic that may comprise hardware (circuitry,dedicated logic, etc.), software (such as is run on a general purposecomputer system or a dedicated machine), firmware (embedded software),or any combination thereof. In one embodiment, the injection controller122 of the injection control system 120 performs the method 550. Inanother embodiment, the computing system of an engine management systemperforms the method 500. Alternatively, other components of thesupplementary fuel system can perform some or all of the operations ofmethod 550.

Referring to FIG. 5B, processing logic begins with receiving one or moreengine parameters, such as when the interrupt controller is programmed.After programming, and during operation, the processing logic receivesone or more operating parameters of an engine (block 552). Next, theprocessing logic determines a desired amount of hydrogen gas to deliverto the engine (block 554), and controls an injector to deliver thedesired amount to the engine (block 556). In one embodiment, theprocessing logic determines a desired amount of hydrogen gas to deliverusing a three-dimensional map, stored in memory, which represents apulse width of the injector for a given set of measurements, such as RPMand pressure. In another embodiment, the processing logic determines thedesired amount using a look-up table. In another embodiment, theprocessing logic may implement an algorithm that computes the desiredamount based on the engine parameters programmed by the user and themonitored operating parameters of the engine. In another embodiment, acomputer in a system using the engine and hydrogen fuel generator isconfigured to execute instructions that cause the computer to performthe method.

In another embodiment, the processing logic also displays emissionoutputs to a user via a user interface device (block 558), such as ameter, digital display, or graphical user interface to indicate theincrease/decrease in mileage, emissions, and/or the like. The processinglogic may also display or provide various other outputs, such as fuelefficiency in terms of miles per gallon or distance to empty.

FIG. 6 illustrates a diagrammatic representation of a machine in theexemplary form of a computer system 600 for injection control ofhydrogen gas into an engine. Within the computer system 600 is a set ofinstructions for causing the machine to perform any one or more of themethodologies discussed herein, may be executed. In alternativeembodiments, the machine may be connected (e.g., networked) to othermachines in a LAN, an intranet, an extranet, or the Internet. Themachine may operate in the capacity of a server or a client machine in aclient-server network environment, or as a peer machine in apeer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. The machine may be aPC, a tablet PC, a STB, a PDA, a cellular telephone, a web appliance, aserver, a network router, switch or bridge, or any machine capable ofexecuting a set of instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specifyactions to be taken by that machine. Further, while only a singlemachine is illustrated, the term “machine” shall also be taken toinclude any collection of machines that individually or jointly executea set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform any one or more ofthe methodologies discussed herein for injection control of hydrogen gasinto the engine, such as the method 550 described above. In oneembodiment, the computer system 600 represents various components thatmay be implemented in the injection control system 120 as describedabove. Alternatively, the injection control system 120 may include moreor less components as illustrated in the computer system 600.

The exemplary computer system 600 includes a processing device 602, amain memory 604 (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, dynamicrandom access memory (DRAM) such as synchronous DRAM (SDRAM) or DRAM(RDRAM), etc.), a static memory 606 (e.g., flash memory, static randomaccess memory (SRAM), etc.), and a data storage device 616, each ofwhich communicate with each other via a bus 630.

Processing device 602 represents one or more general-purpose processingdevices such as a microprocessor, central processing unit, or the like.More particularly, the processing device 602 may be a complexinstruction set computing (CISC) microprocessor, reduced instruction setcomputing (RISC) microprocessor, very long instruction word (VLIW)microprocessor, or a processor implementing other instruction sets orprocessors implementing a combination of instruction sets. Theprocessing device 602 may also be one or more special-purpose processingdevices such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), afield programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal processor (DSP),network processor, or the like. The processing device 602 is configuredto execute the processing logic (e.g., injection control 626) forperforming the operations and steps discussed herein.

The computer system 600 may further include a network interface device622. The computer system 600 also may include a video display unit 610(e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a cathode ray tube (CRT)), analphanumeric input device 612 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor controldevice 614 (e.g., a mouse), and a signal generation device 620 (e.g., aspeaker).

The data storage device 616 may include a computer-readable storagemedium 624 on which is stored one or more sets of instructions (e.g.,injection control 626) embodying any one or more of the methodologies orfunctions described herein. The injection control 626 may also reside,completely or at least partially, within the main memory 604 and/orwithin the processing device 602 during execution thereof by thecomputer system 600, the main memory 604 and the processing device 602also constituting computer-readable storage media. The injection control626 may further be transmitted or received over a network via thenetwork interface device 622.

While the computer-readable storage medium 624 is shown in an exemplaryembodiment to be a single medium, the term “computer-readable storagemedium” should be taken to include a single medium or multiple media(e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and/or associated cachesand servers) that store the one or more sets of instructions. The term“computer-readable storage medium” shall also be taken to include anymedium that is capable of storing a set of instructions for execution bythe machine and that causes the machine to perform any one or more ofthe methodologies of the present embodiments. The term“computer-readable storage medium” shall accordingly be taken toinclude, but not be limited to, solid-state memories, optical media,magnetic media, or other types of mediums for storing the instructions.The term “computer-readable transmission medium” shall be taken toinclude any medium that is capable of transmitting a set of instructionsfor execution by the machine to cause the machine to perform any one ormore of the methodologies of the present embodiments.

The injection control module 632, components, and other featuresdescribed herein (for example in relation to FIGS. 1, 5A, and 5B) can beimplemented as discrete hardware components or integrated in thefunctionality of hardware components such as ASICS, FPGAs, DSPs orsimilar devices. In addition, the injection control module 632 can beimplemented as firmware or functional circuitry within hardware devices.Further, the injection control module 632 can be implemented in anycombination hardware devices and software components.

The foregoing description, for purpose of explanation, has beendescribed with reference to specific embodiments. However, theillustrative discussions above are not intended to be exhaustive or tolimit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many modificationsand variations are possible in view of the above teachings. Theembodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain theprinciples of the invention and its practical applications, to therebyenable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention and variousembodiments with various modifications as may be suited to theparticular use contemplated.

What is claimed is:
 1. A hydrogen fuel generator, comprising: acylindrical enclosure of metal, wherein the cylindrical enclosure is tooperate as a first electrode when coupled to a first terminal of a powersource; a fuel cell unit disposed within the cylindrical enclosure,wherein the fuel cell unit comprises: a second electrode coupled to asecond terminal of the power source; and a plurality of conductivetubular cells disposed in a longitudinal direction of the cylindricalenclosure, wherein the plurality of conductive tubular cells are passiveconductors and are not coupled to the first and second terminals.
 2. Thehydrogen fuel generator of claim 1, wherein the second electrode is ametal rod disposed within the plurality of conductive tubular cellsalong a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical enclosure.
 3. The hydrogenfuel generator of claim 2, wherein the metal rod is a metal boltdisposed within an innermost one of the plurality of conductive tubularcells.
 4. The hydrogen fuel generator of claim 2 wherein the metal rodcomprises stainless steel.
 5. The hydrogen fuel generator of claim 1,wherein the second electrode is a conductive tubular cell disposedwithin the plurality of conductive tubular cells.
 6. The hydrogen fuelgenerator of claim 1, wherein the first terminal is a negative terminaland the second terminal is a positive terminal.
 7. The hydrogen fuelgenerator of claim 1, further comprising a non-metal base coupled to theplurality of conductive tubular cells, wherein the non-metal basearranges the plurality of conductive tubular cells to be electricallyisolated from one another, wherein the non-metal base is configured toarrange the plurality of conductive tubular cells at specified distancesfrom one another, the non-metal base having a plurality of grooves,wherein a first groove is spaced apart from a second groove to create afirst distance, wherein the second groove is spaced apart from a thirdgroove to create a second distance.
 8. The hydrogen fuel generator ofclaim 7, wherein the first distance and the second distance aredifferent.
 9. The hydrogen fuel generator of claim 1, wherein theplurality of conductive tubular cells comprises one outer tube and oneor more inner tubes.
 10. The hydrogen fuel generator of claim 1, furthercomprising a non-metal base coupled to the plurality of conductivetubular cells, wherein the non-metal base arranges the plurality ofconductive tubular cells to be electrically isolated from one anotherand to be spaced apart from one another.
 11. The hydrogen fuel generatorof claim 10, further comprising: a non-metal lid coupled to theplurality of conductive tubular cells, the non-metal lid having a holethrough which a metal bolt passes, wherein the metal bolt operates asthe second electrode; a nut configured to receive the metal bolt tofasten the non-metal lid, the plurality of conductive tubular cells, andthe non-metal base; and a coupler to couple the second terminal of thepower source to the metal bolt.
 12. The hydrogen fuel generator of claim10, wherein the plurality of conductive tubular cells are spaced apartby the same approximate distance by the non-metal base.
 13. The hydrogenfuel generator of claim 10, wherein the non-metal base is apolytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) puck having a groove for each of theplurality of conductive tubular cells.
 14. The hydrogen fuel generatorof claim 10, wherein the non-metal base is a high-density polyethylene(HDPE) puck having a groove for each of the plurality of conductivetubular cells.
 15. The hydrogen fuel generator of claim 1, wherein thecylindrical enclosure is a sump to be filled with an aqueous solution ofwater and electrolyte.
 16. The hydrogen fuel generator of claim 1,wherein the cylindrical enclosure is stainless steel.
 17. The hydrogenfuel generator of claim 1, wherein every other one of the plurality ofconductive tubular cells comprises a plurality of holes on at least onesurface of the respective cell.
 18. The hydrogen fuel generator of claim1, wherein the plurality of conductive tubular cells each comprisesmicroscopic indentations on at least one surface of the respective cell.19. The hydrogen fuel generator of claim 1, wherein the plurality ofconductive tubular cells are formed from a plurality of core tubes,wherein the core tubes are alternating materials.
 20. The hydrogen fuelgenerator of claim 19, wherein an outermost core tube comprises a solidmaterial, a second outermost core tube comprises a perforated material,a third outermost core tube comprises a solid material, and a fourthoutermost core tube comprises a perforated material, wherein theplurality of core tubes are not coupled to the first and secondterminals.
 21. A hydrogen fuel generator, comprising: a cylindricalenclosure of metal configured to hold an aqueous solution of water andelectrolyte, wherein the cylindrical enclosure operates as a cathodewhen connected to a power source; a metal electrode disposed along alongitudinal axis of the cylindrical enclosure, wherein the metalelectrode operates as an anode when connected to the power source; andan electrolysis cell disposed within the cylindrical enclosure, whereinthe electrolysis cell comprises a plurality of passive conductivetubular cells that are not coupled to the power source.
 22. A system,comprising: an engine having an air intake; an injector coupled to theair intake to deliver hydrogen gas to the air intake; and a hydrogenfuel generator coupled to the injector, wherein the hydrogen fuelgenerator comprises: a cylindrical enclosure of metal configured to holdan aqueous solution of water and electrolyte, wherein the cylindricalenclosure operates as a cathode when connected to a power source; ametal electrode disposed along a longitudinal axis of the cylindricalenclosure, wherein the metal electrode operates as an anode whenconnected to the power source; and an electrolysis cell disposed withinthe cylindrical enclosure, wherein the electrolysis cell comprises aplurality of passive conductive tubular cells that are not coupled tothe power source.